Vehicle article carriers are used in a variety of automotive applications to transport articles of various shapes and sizes above an outer body surface of a vehicle. Typically, a pair of elongated rails is secured to the outer body surface of the vehicle generally parallel to one another. One or more cross bars are then secured at opposite ends to the rails. Typically the cross bars are not stowable, meaning that even when the article carrier is not in use, the cross bars would be secured to the rails extending perpendicularly between the rails. Of course, if the cross bars are removable, then they could be removed entirely from the rails, but then this gives rise to the problem of storing the cross bars, as well as the inconvenience of having to physically disassemble the cross bars from the remainder of the vehicle article carrier. Often, external tools may be required for such disassembly, which further adds to the inconvenience for the user. Storage of such components within the vehicle can also be difficult and/or consume valuable and limited cargo space. Storing the cross bars separately from the vehicle may give rise to the inconvenient situation where a need arises to use the vehicle article carrier, while the user is away from home or work with the vehicle, but the cross bars are being stored at home or at a place of work.
If the cross bar is of the type that can be adjustably positioned on the rails, then it will typically have a locking mechanism at each end thereof. The locking mechanisms are used to secure the cross bar to the rails. Adjusting the positioning of the cross bar on the rails typically involves unlocking a first end support of the cross bar, then walking around to the other side of the vehicle and unlocking a second end support at the opposite end of the cross bar. Then the cross bar is moved to the desired position, and then the second end support would be locked. The user would then walk around to the opposite side of the vehicle and lock the end support at the first end. As will be appreciated, this process can be somewhat cumbersome for those individuals that use their article carrier systems frequently.